Elinor Barker

Elinor Barker

Barker during the Glasgow event of the 2012–13 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
Personal information
Full name Elinor Jane Barker
Born 7 September 1994
Cardiff, Wales
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Weight 56 kg (123 lb; 8.8 st)[1]
Team information
Current team Team USN / Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling
Discipline Track & Road
Role Rider
Rider type Pursuit/Time trial
Amateur team(s)
2005–2007 Maindy Flyers
2008 Kidney Wales For Escentual
2009–2011 Cardiff Ajax
2012 Scott Contessa Epic RT[2]
Professional team(s)
2013–2014 Wiggle-Honda
2015– Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling

Elinor Jane Barker (born 7 September 1994) is a Welsh racing cyclist from Cardiff, Wales, who currently rides on the track for Great Britain and the Welsh Cycling backed Team USN, and on the road for Wiggle-Honda. Barker is a two time and reigning world champion in women's team pursuit, having won the three rider version of the event in 2013 for Great Britain with Laura Trott and Dani King, and the extended four rider version in 2014, again with Trott, Katie Archibald and Joanna Rowsell. She is also a reigning European champion in the same event.

On the road, Barker was the 2012 junior world time trial champion.

Early life

Elinor Barker from Heath, Cardiff, is the daughter of Graham Barker, deputy headteacher at St Julian's Comprehensive School in Newport.[3] She also has a sister, Megan, also a successful racing cyclist who is three years younger.[4] She attended Llanishen High School.[3]

Career

Barker took up cycling with the Maindy Flyers at the age of 10, as a way of getting out of swimming classes.[3][5] She was recruited into British Cycling's Olympic Development Academy,[4] but remained based in Wales until she completed her A-levels in 2013, after which she moved to Manchester to train full time at Manchester Velodrome.[6]

She became the Junior Time Trial world champion in 2012, completing the 15.6 km course in Valkenburg, Netherlands in 22 minutes and 26.29 seconds, beating Cecille Ludvig of Denmark by 35.87 seconds. Subsequently Barker was named Carwyn James Junior Sportswoman of the Year at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards in 2012.[7]

In 2013, she became a senior world champion for the first time as a member of the team pursuit squad at the UCI Track World Championships.

Barker represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2014, winning silver and bronze medals.[8][9]

In September 2014 it was announced that Barker would follow in the footsteps of team-mate Laura Trott and join the Matrix Fitness-Vulpine team for 2015.[10]

Palmarès

Source:[11]

2008
3rd Omnium British National Track Championships – Under 14
2010
2nd Individual pursuit British National Track Championships – Under 16
3rd points race British National Track Championships – Junior
3rd points race British National Track Championships – Under 16
3rd Scratch race British National Track Championships – Under 16
2011
1st Individual pursuit British National Track Championships – Junior
1st Stratford-upon-Avon Team Series
1st stage 1 Essex Giro
2nd Individual pursuit European Track Championships – Junior
2nd Time trial UCI Road World Championships – Junior
2nd Scratch race British National Track Championships – Junior
3rd Points race British National Track Championships – Junior
2012
1st Time trial UCI Road World Championships – Junior
1st Individual pursuit European Track Championships – Junior
1st Team pursuit European Track Championships – Junior
with Amy Roberts & Lucy Garner
1st Jubilee Road Race
1st Duncan Murray Wines Road Race
2nd Hillingdon Grand Prix
2nd overall 2 Days of Bedford
1st stage 4
2nd Omnium UCI Track World Championships – Junior
2nd Individual pursuit UCI Track World Championships – Junior
3rd Team pursuit UCI Track World Championships – Junior
with Hayley Jones & Amy Roberts
2nd Team pursuit 2012–2013 Track World Cup, Cali
with Ciara Horne & Amy Roberts
2013
1st Team pursuit UCI Track World Championships
with Dani King & Laura Trott
1st Team pursuit European Track Championships
1st Otley Grand Prix
2nd Individual pursuit UCI Track World Championships – Under-23
2nd Points race UCI Track World Championships – Under-23
3rd Team pursuit 2012–2013 Track World Cup, Aguascalientes
with Ciara Horne & Amy Roberts
2014
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
1st Team pursuit
2014 Commonwealth Games
Points race
Scratch race
7th Individual pursuit
7th Road time trial
2015
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
2nd Team pursuit

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Elinor Barker: Biography". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Individual/Points". British Cycling. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Simon Gaskell (18 September 2012). "Cycling gold for Elinor Barker at World Road Championships in Holland". Wales Online.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chris Sidwells (22 November 2012). "Ride: Elinor Barker in South Wales". Cycling Weekly.
  5. ↑ Alasdair Fotheringham (19 September 2012). "Cycling: Elinor Barker shows next generation is in very safe hands". The Independent.
  6. ↑ Robin Scott-Elliot (31 October 2013). "Elinor Barker prepares to complete her education on the track". The Independent.
  7. ↑ Rebecca Ransom (11 December 2012). "Elinor Barker named Carwyn James Junior Sportswoman of the Year". British Cycling.
  8. ↑ "Commonwealth Games 2014: Olympic champion Geraint Thomas and world sprint star Becky James head up Welsh cycling team for Glasgow". Wales Online. 9 July 2014.
  9. ↑ BBC Sport – Glasgow 2014, "Glasgow 2014 day four: Elinor Barker denied gold by Laura Trott", 27 July 2014. Accessed 27 July 2014
  10. ↑ "Elinor Barker signs to Matrix Fitness-Vulpine for 2015". Cycling Weekly. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Profile at Cycling Archives

External links